Starting college can feel stressful, especially when everyone answers this question differently, “what do you want to do after college?” As an incoming freshman at UW Madison majoring in communications, I wasn’t exactly sure what my future was looking like either. However, there was one thing I learned quickly and that was that opportunities can come from asserting yourself early.
This summer, I was lucky enough to intern for an NFL team, specifically in their football operations department. Looking back, the experience did not happen because of a great resume, or a special connection. Rather, it came from the habits I developed in my first year at UW Madison, something that all freshmen can develop early and will be incredibly happy they did.
The first step is getting involved. Attend events, explore your interests. You don’t need to know exactly what you want to do on day one, but anything you are interested in, you should most certainly explore and dig deeper into that realm of opportunity.
Second, build relationships, network, and relate to others. At first it may be challenging, however the more you interact with the people, the more comfortable you will get. During my internship, the most valuable things I took away from it were not from the actual work I did. They were the side talks, the conversations, the meetings. All the interactions I had were so meaningful and informative and truly will benefit me in the future.
Lastly, seek out new experiences. Whether it is an internship, a part time job, a volunteer position, these experiences teach lessons that can’t be learned in a classroom alone.
UW Madison offers loads of resources to help students develop professionally. The University career center provides tools that help with exploring all sorts of opportunities and resources, kickstarting students into the next chapters of their lives.
The more you do now, will help you be more prepared for the future.
The NFL internship experience has taught me about the values of networking, assertiveness and seeking new opportunities